


Running in The Rain

by OhhMyy



Series: Coming Back To Life. [10]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Illnesses, Mild Language, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-22 02:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8269424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhhMyy/pseuds/OhhMyy
Summary: 3am isn't an entirely unusual time for Bucky to be awake. It is unusual that an adorable, and somewhat sniffly, bundle of Charlie is up to keep him company.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Brief (and not at all thorough) mentions of nightmares. Illness = cold. A few F bombs.

It’s 3am and he’s tossing and turning in bed with no sign of welcoming sleep anytime soon. Exhausted after a day spent in the Gym with Steve he’d climbed into bed relatively early and dozed comfortably until images of being strapped to chairs, beaten with chains and losing memories with words had flashed through his mind. He woke in a cold sweat two hours before and can’t for the life of him get back to sleep. Closing his eyes feels like dying.

He rolls out of bed with a grunt and mentally thanks Stark for the plush carpet that greets his feet. Long years of cold rooms and hard floors means he still has to check he’s not dreaming sometimes. He rummages for clothes and pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie before exiting his room and heading to the kitchen.

He’s greeted by the sight of Charlie at the counter, she’s wearing a hoodie at least a few sizes too big and purple pyjama pants (a Christmas gift from Clint he remembers). She’s mumbling (from what he can gather insults) at the kettle, leaning on the counter with her arms crossed and glaring at it whilst she shuffles from foot to foot. Her head picks up when she notices him and she offers a small wave as he sits on the chair opposite her.

“Can’t sleep either, huh?” She asks, turning around and ransacking the drawer he knows belongs to Bruce before whipping out a tea bag, she lifts it in front of her, gesturing silently to him to ask if he wants one, he shakes his head no and she drops the bag into a mug before grabbing a post it note from the counter and scribbling a note (‘Charlie was here’ he sees) before plopping it in the drawer and closing it.

She rubs her hands over her arms and he notices her shivering slightly, knows she’d gotten caught in the rain earlier in the day and had forgone a taxi to walk five miles back to the tower in a downpour after exhausting herself on a run and not having the energy to run back, she looked like a drowned rat when she returned and more than one of the Avengers (including himself) had chewed her out for not calling for assistance.

“You alright, Doll? Why aren’t you asleep?”

The kettle pops and she fills her mug up before clasping it in her hands, knowing it’s probably too hot but not giving a damn. She nods over to the sofa in the living room and starts walking there before he’s answered her silent question. She sets her tea down on the coffee table and sits down, curling her knees up. Bucky sits himself down next to her closer than he’d usually try (as close as they are she is usually the one to initiate contact, he welcomes it more than he knows he should but he’s always worried his presence isn’t wanted) and notices that the fire under the Television is on, wonders how long she’s been awake for.

Charlie wiggles slightly and snuggles into him, burrowing down into her hoodie and bringing her knees up to curl into her chest, bare feet resting on the edge of the cushion underneath her. He tries desperately to focus on the place of worry inside him and not how wonderful she feels pressed tightly against him.

“’Can’t get warm” She whines as he lifts an arm and wraps it around the back of her shoulders. She feels cold to the touch even in clothes and he’s suddenly aware it’s been over five hours since she’s been back, he brings her in closer, holding her tight; all sense of propriety gone from his mine and rubs his hand against her arm to try and warm her up as his metal arm reaches forward for her mug, picking it up and taking a sip before handing it to her, she clasps it with one hand but keeps the other firmly coiled against her body.

“You said you didn’t want a mug” He has the good grace to look a little sheepish as he peers down at her but has to hold back a chortle as he can only see her forehead and eyes peeping out from over the hood she’s snuggled back into. _Adorable._

“I didn’t, just a sip!” He defends and she brings her mouth out of the hoodie to stick out her tongue at him before sipping from the mug; moaning gently as the heat hits the back of her throat.

“Bruce always has the best tea” He nods and hums in agreement, he’s not a huge fan of the beverage but even he’d been impressed with a few of the blends Bruce had been kind enough to offer, and even make him, on occasion.

It’s silent for a beat and he’s enjoying the closeness as she enjoys the warmth, his fingers running gently along her arm as she sips her drink. He’s tempted to take his own hoodie off and wrap her in it but he’s acutely aware that he’s not wearing a shirt underneath and his company is one thing but he’s hesitant to inflict his body upon her as well, scarred and gnarled and he’s not appreciating the way his mind keeps throwing out _‘naked for heat’_.

“Bucky, why aren’t you asleep?”

He’s quiet for a moment, wondering if he should answer honestly and in detail. He decides against it, feeling certain that a heart to heart will result in the loss of her embrace and the beginning of a string of questions he doesn’t want to answer.

“Nightmares”

She hums in understanding and lifts her head from its cocoon again to rest her ear against his chest. She brings her hand out from its nest and reaches across him to hold the opposite side of his jaw. She rubs a thumb gingerly against his stubble and runs her hand backwards to run her fingers through his hair to secure it behind his ear and looks him straight in the eyes before hunkering back down; having ascertained that he no longer looks haunted and drawn.

“Want to talk about them?” She sounds tired but he knows the offer is a genuine one, isn’t the first time she’s offered him comfort; an ear to chew or a shoulder to cry on. There’s no question in his mind that if he needed she’d wake herself out of her comfortable state to fuss over him but he can finally feel her warming up under his palm.

“Nah Doll, it’s alright”

He knows if she were more awake that answer would be met with a berating tone and a swat to the arm; an attempt to get him to open up and a bigger attempt to fix things, but he can feel her head dropping as she fights against sleep.

“You’re warm” she mumbles sleepily, lips grazing his chest as she speaks; her eyes close and his fingers stop their movement as he looks down at her peaceful face, smiling before feeling his eyes start to droop as her closeness lulls him into comfort. He picks the mug from her hands and puts it back on the table with careful effort not to jostle her and brings his metal arm into a comfortable position on his lap.

It’s the exact position they’re startled out of before sunrise by Bruce (who presumably has come to make tea) trying to wake them gently before Tony can see them, take a picture and come up with a small couple of hundred innuendos. They rise slightly embarrassed and awkwardly and Bucky sees Bruce open his tea drawer and roll his eyes before he heads back to his room to catch up on sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

He’s aware of voices as he wakes from his nap and only vaguely aware that unless those voices are loud he shouldn’t be able to hear them. He wipes the sleep from his eyes, swings his legs over the side of the bed and listens closely to the heavy footsteps and muffled voices. The light in his room tells him it is still early.

“Fuck you Banner with your science and your logic!” The voice (Charlie’s; he knows without even having to think) is stuffy but clearly yelled loud enough for him to hear the entire sentence; it is followed by a sneeze and another loud “fuck!” before he hears a door slam shut.

He pokes his head out of his apartment door and sees Bruce standing at the edge of the hallway outside the elevator looking bemused, arms crossed in front of his chest, his mind calms somewhat knowing it’s not an actual fight but he hurries out of the door towards the scientist anyway.

“Everything alright Bruce?”

“That woman does not make a good patient” He sighs but his voice is full of affection and humour. His heart drops slightly at the thought of her ill but he’s not stupid enough after last night to think she’d get off with just a little chill, was worried that if it were not for the fact he’d kept a close eye that she could have developed hypothermia. They live with Stark and have access to the best medical help in the country but she’d already refused offers by both Bruce and the resident Doctor to be checked over after her run.

“Charlie?”

“Yep” He pops the word out and raises both eyebrows in sarcastic surprise but the warmth behind his eyes belies any annoyance he actually has as her “I knew that rain yesterday would make her sick. Tony won’t let her in her studio and I tried to be the voice of medical reason but…well it didn’t go down well”

Bucky winces, can’t imagine how pissed she is at being locked out but can’t help but clap Bruce on the shoulder in solidarity and silent thanks as he laughs. He’s never been the kind of man to tell a woman what to do but he can picture the annoyance written on her face; hell hath no fury indeed.

He pads his way down the hall to her room, passing Clint in the hallway with a nod. He hears Bruce tell Clint about the studio and Clint huffs a swear before turning on his feet and back to his room, passing Bucky again. There’s a loud sneeze and mumbling before he knocks on her door, grimacing as he hears a muffled “Nooo” in response. He enters nonetheless and takes in her miserable features as she scowls at him before pouting like a toddler.

“I’m not sick” It’s a lie, it comes out stuffy and its followed very quickly by a sneeze and a groan as she holds her head between her palms and coughs, letting out a long groan before gazing longingly at her bedding.

“I can see that, Doll”

“Tony’s mean and Bruce is bullying me” It’s pathetic in the most adorable way as she petulantly flops on the bed face first, all grace and control lost, arms at her sides and then wriggles into a comfortable position without lifting her face, butt scooting up in the air as she brings her legs up under her slightly, arms still down at her sides.

“Yeah, that definitely sounds like Bruce” he’s nodding, mocking and stern and she turns her head, keeping a cheek pressed into the mattress, to glare at him. He holds his hands up in mock surrender and moves to sit on the side of the bed. Pressing a hand to her forehead he feels the heat radiating from her but her body is shivering slightly. He’s about to confirm Banners suspicions when Tony flounces in, tray in hand.

“I have made soup, well I asked Banner to help me make it so basically Banner made it, but I’m sure it’s good and I have brought it to you like the truly self-sacrificing friend I am! Please do not sneeze on me Typhoid Mary; I am far too busy and important to get sick”

Charlie reaches one arm above her head; picks up a pillow (he laughs under his breath upon noticing that it’s an Iron Man pillow case) without looking and tosses it at Tony’s head. He ducks successfully and manages to save the soup. He places the tray on her bedside table, skirting around Bucky and takes an exaggerated bow. Bucky takes in the contents of the tray and notices there are also painkillers, a small packet of tissues and a tube of sweets. He knows without question that Tony has put them there but will never mention it and feign ignorance if asked.

“You are gross, I am leaving” he announces, but moves closer to her anyway and kneels down by the bed “Do you need anything, Kid?” he places a hand on her forehead just like Bucky had and strokes a thumb across the top of her head as if petting a cat, ignoring the sweat that has gathered there despite his protestations of her making him ill. She mumbles a no and leans into his touch before moving her face away and back into the mattress. Bucky smiles at the pair of them, his impressions of Tony couldn’t have been more wrong and the entire group has had to re-evaluate a lot of pre-conceived notions that had formed before Charlie had arrived and that’s after the ones that had changed when they moved in. 

Tony stands with a grunt (Bucky resists the urge to make an old man joke despite knowing he is technically at least double Starks age) and waves a singular finger near Bucky’s face.

“You! Super serum man! Do super serum men get sick? No, good, keep her away from the studio. She dies? I’d like to be informed. And you!” he points at Charlie even though she can’t see it. “Behave!” He sweeps out of the room as quickly as he’d entered and Bucky wonders, not for the first time, how Stark finds his energy. 

“Go away, I’m disgusting” She groans into the duvet, voice muffled by the bedding.

“Nope, you heard Tony, I can’t get colds and you need to stay put”

“’m Fine”

He pushes her gently until she moves to one side of the bed and climbs on to sit on top of the covers. Her body is still shivering and he encourages her to move so he can lift the covers over her, tempting her to swallow a painkiller with a mouthful of soup whilst she’s sitting up before she closes her mouth and refuses anything else; complete with tightly closed mouth and childish head shake.

She shucks the covers over her and up around her neck, curling in on herself underneath the warm cocoon. He leans over to her bedside table and presses a remote; causing the inbuilt television to pop from the end of the bed. He moves a pillow from behind him, bringing it round to replace the one she’d thrown at Tony and which is now on the floor, he places it at the other side of her, resting against her to provide additional warmth as he shuffles to lean against the headboard. She moves over to him instantly despite her grumbling and puts her head on his jean covered thigh thigh; Bucky freezes momentarily but quickly moves his hand to stroke through her hair as she hums in appreciation.

“Bucky, I think I’m sick” She whines quietly, and he feels it vibrate through his leg more than he actually hears it but she’s asleep before he can respond.

-

She spends most of the next week sleeping in bed, wrapped tightly in a bundle of blankets and with Bucky for company. She manages to drag herself from her nest each day to shower and brush her teeth before climbing back in. Tony enters and exits with alarming frequency and Bucky briefly (ad guiltily) wonders if he is the reason Stark doesn’t stay for longer but Charlie has sleepily informed him that Tony hates being sick and if they weren’t as close as they were Bucky wouldn’t have seen him at all during the week.

Bucky barely leaves her room during the week, but he does leave her room to sleep at night; feeling that is a step too far and not wanting her to regret his company when she is well enough for higher cognitive function. They watch old movies when she’s awake, her penchant for Noel Coward movies not quite shared with him but he sacrifices his tastes valiantly in exchange for the closeness she’s allowing.

He allows himself brief moments of guilt that he’s much more tactile than usual, casual touches increased under the guise of checking on her health but apparently a sick Charlie turns into a somewhat clingy octopus; usual independent, capable woman becoming a toddler with the sniffles, so there is increased affection on both sides.

He is almost sad when she gets better, exiting her room one morning (exactly 7 days after her symptoms began) and greeting him in the kitchen like she would have before at breakfast; he manages to mumble about preparing to bring her breakfast in bed to cover his disappointment but his sadness is eased when she leans up on her tip toes to place a kiss against his stubbled cheek.


End file.
